Entertainment is great, but what about good old-fashioned brain food? Whether you’re young or old, educational streaming services give you a nice break from binging Netflix. Plus, they’re a great tool for students as they had back to the classroom.
1. Curiosity Stream
Price: $4.99/month or $39.99/year
Curiosity Stream has quickly become a leader in educational documentaries. It’s all about feeding your curiosity. Thousands of shows and movies focused on history, culture, science, nature, and more helps expand your knowledge every day.
You’ll find something for both kid and adults, ranging from The Wiggles to Secrets of the Universe. Plus, there’s more being added all the time.
To make this one of the best educational streaming platforms, opt for the bundle deal for just $69.99/year. This gives you Curiosity Stream, Tastemade, Kidstream, Curiosity U, and SOMM TV.
2. The Great Courses Plus
Price: Starts at $12.50/month
The Great Courses Plus is one of the more expensive services on this list. But, it’s filled with documentaries and courses on numerous topics. Explore food, culture, history, science, travel, literature, music, philosophy, and more. The more in-depth content is perfect for learning more or discovering new interests.
While there is a limited free version, the Plus version gives you unlimited access to over 18,000 courses and lectures. It also saves you money on buying individual courses. I’d recommend this one more for teens and adults.
3. Lingopie
Price: Starts at $6.99/month
You might already be using language learning apps for traveling or just to learn a new language for fun. Lingopie is arguably one of the best ways to learn a language while doing something you do already – watching TV. What makes it one of the best overall educational streaming services is you learn while having fun.
You stream real TV shows and movies, including a selection from Netflix and Disney+. But, everything has two sets of subtitles – your native language and the language you’re learning. Click at any time to instantly translate and learn more.
Plus, there are other language learning activities included. For kids, there’s also a kid-friendly section. Don’t worry if you’re a beginner. There are three levels of difficulty to help you succeed. If you love, try the lifetime plan to save money.
4. PBS Kids
Price: Free
For younger kids, it’s hard to beat PBS Kids, especially for free. You can stream it from the official site or through app that’s available on mobile and almost every streaming device. It features a wide variety of educational shows to teach kids math, language, science, and more. The website and mobile apps also have fun, educational games.
The free version has a rotating collection of full episodes of new and older shows. You also get your local live PBS Kids station. If you want all episodes on-demand, subscribe on Prime Video for $4.99/month.
5. History Vault
Price: $5.99/month or $59.99/year
If you are a fan of the History Channel, skip the annoying ads with History Vault. Find your favorite History Channel documentaries and series on-demand. Overall, it’s more for adults, but you’ll find thousands of hours of educational and entertaining content.
As the name implies, it’s mostly history content, though there’s a smattering of science too. If you also love watching A&E and Lifetime, get the trio bundle deal for just $9.99/month.
6. NASA+
Price: Free
NASA+ is completely free and is the best educational streaming platform for space-related content. What surprised me most is it’s not just documentaries, but in-depth educational shows exploring the universe, the history of space exploration, and various concepts like black holes and planets.
Check out live content at any time, such as rocket launches. And, for junior explorers, there’s more age-appropriate content to break down complex topics. The best part is everything is ad-free with no subscription fees.
7. MagellanTV
Price: Starts at $4.99/month
MagellanTV features documentaries on almost any subject you can imagine. New documentaries and series are being added regularly. Explore curated playlists on various subjects, such as villains of history, women of history, American stories, and more.
Get lost in educational shows about science, history, culture, war, crime, Earth, and even social issues. There’s something for all ages, though there isn’t a specific kids section. Plus, many documentaries are in 4K.
8. Hopster
Price: $7.99/month
Hopster is specifically for younger children. While it’s available on smart TVs and streaming devices, you’ll get the most benefit from the mobile apps. It’s a mix of videos, games, and books to help kids learn in a fun, engaging way.
The content is fairly limited in comparison with some other apps. You’ll find classic kids’ shows, such as Peppa Pig and Thomas and Friends. Plus, Hopster has a collection of original shows to keep kids entertained and learning. If you want more original content, try out Playkids+ as well.
9. YouTube Premium
Price: Starts at $7.99/month
I know YouTube is filled with tons of non-educational videos, but you’ll also find numerous documentaries, tutorials, lessons, and much more. Most anything you want to learn more about is right there. There is even Courses section. With the Premium version, you can download the videos to watch offline and there are zero ads. You can even share ad-free videos with others. Or, if you don’t mind ads, stick with the free version.
For kids, try YouTube Kids. This is free, just like regular YouTube, but has parental controls and more age-appropriate content. Or, with YouTube Premium, YouTube Kids is ad-free.
10. TED Talks
Price: Free
What better way to learn than from people who’ve actually lived the experiences? TED Talks cover nearly every topic imaginable. Everything’s free and there are even TV apps to watch on a larger screen.
One of the things that makes it one of the top educational streaming services is the variety of content. Hear from actors about creativity or jump to the challenges of living without electricity. You can even subscribe to newsletters, check out podcasts, and play educational games.
In between streaming, check out these intellectual sites for more mental stimulation. Or, take a break from learning and stream your favorite shows and movies.
